I AM THE FIRST LADY

002

Alone on the serene and deserted beach, Sarah sat on the sandy shore, the waves crashing against the beach as if echoing her inner turmoil. The sunset on the horizon in its warm hue of orange failed to bring comfort to the despair that hung over her like a chute.

Her eyes were red and swollen, heavy with the weight of sorrow and betrayal. Tears painted her face, the hurt as vast as the sea itself and heavy as a lead. Yet underneath the sorrow was an underlying sense of trepidation - a thought that wasn't born out of hope but out of fear of continuing to live.

Sarah ought to be grateful that she found out about them before the knot was tied between herself and David — how worse would it be if things started to unfold after her wedding?

Sarah stood up abruptly and walked closer to the beach, shutting other thoughts off her head and mind. She stared intensely into the raging waves of the waster as thoughts of suicide attempts swirled in her mind, tempting her to end the painful game she felt trapped in.

The memories of David's lies and deceit, the always smiling face of her supposed best friend, and her words of solace and encouragement tormented her mind — she realized they were all false and empty, and she felt the overwhelming urge to end the big game that had been played on her.

She has never felt so used and cheap in her whole life — David and Laura used her and made her feel she was no more than trash that could be tossed aside. The betrayal hurts deeper than she thought and with each ticking seconds — her heartache becomes deeper and heavier.

Engulfed in self-destructive thought with an inner voice screaming and gnawing at her to end the torment, she felt her life was just an arena where she was just the pawn.

Regret gnawed at her conscience as she recalled her father's earnest warnings about David, his stern and hoarse voice echoed in her mind, his desperate attempts to sever ties with her and protect her from the toxic influence of her former lover.

Sarah could vividly recall that day. She sat on the leather sofa, her eyes fixed on her father as he paced the rug in their living room. His brow furrowed in concern, a deep frown etched on his weathered face.

"I'm telling you, Sarah, he's not the man for you," James's voice was laced with urgency, his brow creased with worry. "I can't stand by and watch you marry that man, Sarah,"

Sarah's eyes flashed with defiance, her jaw set firmly as she faced her father. "You don't know David like I do, Dad. He's a good man, I can tell he is." She countered, arguing words with her father.

James shook his head, frustration tainting his words. "But I've seen the way he treats you, Sarah. It's not right." He doped out, trying to cajole the unwavering decision of his daughter. "His ways are far from that of a real man — he's no different from a boy."

"What...?" Sarah's eyes weren't softening a bit as she fixated her gaze on him — his choice of words wasn't helping issues at all.

"I can't let my daughter choose that kind of immature brat as her life partner." He insisted, his tone matching the look in his eyes as well. "You have to see things the way I see them, Sarah, that boy isn't the right person for you!"

Sarah's patience wearing thin, her tone edged with anger — she had had enough of him trying to bad mouth, David. "You have no right to judge him, Dad. You don't even know him." She uttered repulsively, almost yelling at her father.

A heavy silence followed, the air thick with unspoken words and unresolved tension. James took a step closer, his voice pleading. "I just want what's best for you, Sarah. I can't stand by and watch you make a mistake."

Sarah's eyes blazed with indignation, her voice rising in defiance. "This is not a mistake, Dad. I love him, and we're getting married." Her tone was laced with finality — she has made her decision, and not even her father can change it.

The exchange of heated words reached a boiling point, and James's patience snapped as he raised his voice. "I won't stand for it, Sarah. I won't support this!"

Sarah, her temper reaching its peak, pushed back from the table, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. "I can't listen to this anymore!" she declared, her voice quivering with anger as she stormed out of the kitchen, leaving her father behind, his words hanging in the air, heavy with regret.

She wished she had listened, wished she had seen through David's facade before it was too late. She hated herself for not heeding her father's warning — for arguing words with him and for walking out on him that day.

That evening, her heart did not only ache for herself but also for her father whom she had mercilessly pushed away. She knew she was foolish to have doubted his wisdom and choose love instead. The love she has for David is a powerful smite, blinding her to reality and filling her with delusions.

In need of solace, Sarah made her way to her mother's grave, the gentle sea breeze carrying her tears as she knelt before the headstone. Her mother had passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest years ago, leaving Sarah with an irreplaceable void in her heart.

As tears streamed down her cheeks, she found herself longing for her mother's comforting embrace. If only her mother was alive, maybe she wouldn't have chosen the wrong path.

As Sarah grieved at her mother's resting place, a stranger approached her with a warm smile. He handed her a small parcel, his kind eyes filled with a glimmer of understanding and compassion. Sarah had never seen him before which made her curiosity piqued, her gaze on the parcel he stretched out to her...